The next day, Brax had agreed to take his little sister out to Summer Bay for a surf. He thought she needed a chance to meet some of the teens from the bay, and hoped they might find some hanging out on the beach. They were walking across the pier, ice lollies in hand, gladly soaking up the hot summer sun and Sammie was talking about her new school.
"I just feel like I don't belong, at all." She sighed, squinting slightly as the sun was in her eyes.
"Well, do you even try?" Brax sounded exasperated, exhausted even.
"Me?" Sammie laughed at his question. "Why would I try?"
"Oh sorry, I forgot you were too cool for that." Brax joked sarcastically, with not nearly enough humour in his voice.
"Don't be stupid Brax." Sammie wasn't afraid to stand up to her older brother, sometimes, it seemed like she was the only one. "People here just have a different attitude to anyone else I've ever met. They're all…weird." She sighed, throwing the remainder of her soggy ice cream in the nearest bin.
"Well sis, maybe today you could change that." They were now making their way down the steps to the beach, heavy surfboards under their arms.
"The surf looks great." Sammie smiled widely, extremely excited. The surf at Summer Bay was completely different to the one at Wilson's. The surf at Wilson's was wild and crazy, with sharp jagged rocks that you had a job to avoid. At Summer Bay, the waves were slow and steady, and any experienced surfer could manage to catch more then a few.
The siblings got out onto the surf as fast as they could, eager to ride. As usual, Brax managed to catch a few more waves then Sammie, but that was only down to experience, and both were extremely talented in their own ways. Brax had a more aggressive approach to everything, being more used to the waves at Wilson's, whereas Sammie was more relaxed, and not afraid to take her time picking the perfect wave. They were both in the water for over half and hour, most of the time in fierce competition with each other. Sibling rivalry was a big thing in their family.
They both got out and dried off, Sammie putting her denim shorts and tank top back on, before making their way up to the land again, both of their stomach's rumbling.
"You did good today, kid." Brax said proudly to his sister. He was more than pleased that his sister was turning out to be a very talented surfer girl. "Maybe a little less drinking, and a little more surf, ey?" He cocked an eyebrow.
"Will you lay off me about the drinking?" Sammie scorned, her happy mood soon disappearing and being replaced by a cloud of dread and regret. "You and Heath get drunk all the time, I don't see what the big problem is!" She would have thrown both her hands in the air if it wasn't for her board, so she settled with just one.
"Just because we do it, doesn't mean I want you to do it." Brax said quietly. At that moment, Sammie saw her Uncle Keith walk up to her and Brax, smiling as usual.
Uncle Keith wasn't actually her uncle. He was more of a family friend, and he had helped them out of a lot of sticky situations, many of them financial. He was a nice man, and not to mention a massive pot head.
She smiled at Keith before Brax turned to her. "Can you give me and Keith a minute to talk, please?"
"But I'm starving." Sammie whined and shook her head, wanting her brother to buy her lunch as soon as possible.
"Well." Brax gritted his teeth. "I'll be with you in a minute, you just go on ahead."
She sighed, and went on her way to the Summer Bay Diner, placing her surf board outside.
That was one thing she liked more about Summer Bay than Mangrove River. In Mangrove River, you could never leave anything 'outside' for fear of it being stolen. Here, you didn't even have to worry about anything like that.
Sammie walked into the diner confidently, her long blonde hair flowing behind her. She didn't want anyone to know that this place scared the crap out of her. She decided she'd wait for Brax before she ordered, just in case he wasn't happy with her choice. Instead of going toward the counter, she looked around for spare tables. The place was busy, but there was still a couple of tables going free. She spotted one and went toward it, changing her mind when she saw a familiar sat at the one next to it. She recognised him as Declan from school, or was it Damien?"You look as bad as I feel?" She quipped, taking a cheeky seat next to the brown haired boy and leaning her elbow rudely on the table.
The boy suddenly looked up at her, slightly dumbfounded. "Err…hi?" He sounded unsure of himself. "It's…uh…nice to meet you again…I guess." He choked his words out, barely making eye contact.
"So what's up?" Sammie interrupted him. "What's got you looking so glum?"
"Just…my sad, pathetic excuse for a life." He frowned, deep lines appearing in his forward.
"What's the matter? Is it girl problems? Mate problems? Family issues?" Sammie pried, she had always considered being an agony aunt…or not.
"Try all 3!" Dex stated, camply taking his strawberry milkshake and putting the straw to his mouth, taking a huge sip out of it. "No girl will ever like me…ever! I don't really have any mates, and well, my dad thinks I'm a freaking weirdo."
"Oh." Sammie sat back, a smile forming on her face. "Well…I like you, and I can be your new friend and, well, if your dad doesn't love you just the way you are then he's an idiot!" She liked to put it simply, and not beat around the bush.
"Thanks, strange person who I haven't even really met before." They both laughed, and glittering eyes caught contact.
"Anytime." Sammie's smile was wider than ever. She liked this boy, he wasn't quite as obnoxious as the rest of the Summer Bay High students.
"Hey." Sammie turned round to see Brax coming toward her, a very serious look on his face. "Look, I've got to get on with some business, so I can't really stay. But here," He threw fifty dollars down on the table in front of Sammie. "This should pay for everything. Maybe you can have lunch with this guy?" Brax winked at the both of them, before walking briskly away from the diner.
"Is that your brother?" Dex asked, his face in a state of wonder. Sammie nodded. "He's pretty freaking cool!" He said in awe.
"Mm, he has his moments." Sammie mused. "So…how do you fancy spending this money on something a little more worth while with me?" Sammie cocked an eyebrow at an unsure looking Dex, waving her new found wealth around in the air.
"Um…okay?" He said, completely unsure of exactly what she meant. He knew one thing though, this girl was going to be trouble.
A/N: I know nothing, I repeat, nothing about surfing. Please don't judge me :P Also, sorry it's been so long since I updated. Works been keeping me pretty busy, and as the Summer weather is finally starting to come (and hopefully stay) here in England, I have been outside a lot. Again, very sorry :D